Chasing Jupiter

December 17, 2012
With a mature voice and descriptive ability that belies her 17 years, Coker (Interrupted) tells the story of Scarlett Blaine, the 16-year-old protagonist of this sweet love story centered on a family in late-1960s Georgia. Scarlett’s eccentric younger brother, Cliff, is bent on learning Spanish and building a space rocket. Together, Scarlett and Cliff endeavor to bake and sell peach pies to fund a trip to Jupiter for Cliff, his birthday wish. Along the way, the Blaine family confronts the hardships of caring for Grandpop Barley, a curmudgeon who loves peanut butter, and Scarlett’s rebellious older sister, Juli. Minor confusions and repetitions mar Coker’s sophomore effort, and not every storyline finds an organic conclusion. Yet the author’s passion, along with her gift for
description and pace, make up for these small imperfections, as does the pure charm of the narrative. Ages 12–up. (Jan.)■

December 15, 2012
Scarlett, 16, will need faith to guide her through a series of tribulations. Scarlett's 10-year-old brother, ever-so-winsome Cliff, is perhaps afflicted with some type of high-functioning autism. Somewhat implausibly, Scarlett is the only one in her dysfunctional family who understands him at all. Her older sister, Juli, a budding hippie, is too wrapped up in her boyfriend, her parents are too busy fighting over money and politics--a conflict that never emerges as more than background noise--and her live-in grandfather is losing a battle with Alzheimer's. After a promise to outer-space-focused Cliff, Scarlett starts earning money by baking peach pies so that she can build him a replica of a rocket ship. In this effort she is helped out by the son of the owner of the peach orchard, sensitive, smart Frank. Then there's a terrible accident, heavily foreshadowed, with a nearly unbelievable outcome, and Scarlett must either succumb to despair or find a path to peaceful acceptance through God. Coker, a teen herself, too often lets her authorial voice intrude on Scarlett's narrative, creating attractive (and frequently redundant) sentences that ring false--"I enjoyed the warm, breezy air kissing my windblown cheeks"--and weakens the narrative by too-often resorting to telling rather than showing. The 1969 time period is never well-realized. Christian teen readers may enjoy this average effort by one of their own, in spite of its flaws. (Historical fiction. 11-16)

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May 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-In rural Georgia, in 1969, 16-year-old Scarlett Blaine is a people pleaser. She struggles to be the perfect family member and caregiver for her autistic younger brother, Cliff, and her mentally unbalanced grandfather. When Cliff sees Neil Armstrong's Moon walk, he wants to fly to Jupiter and enlists Scarlett and Frank, the local peach farmer's son, to help build a rocket. Scarlett loves Frank, but his crush on her free-spirited, older sister and her parents' fighting leave the teen wondering how to cope with a world turned upside down. Scarlett puts her faith in God and family. This book is recommended for libraries looking to expand their Christian-fiction collections.-Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2013
Grades 8-10 Sixteen-year-old Scarlett Blaine has her hands full. Both her parents work hard just to put food on the table (though the cooking frequently falls to Scarlett). Her grandfather lives with the family because of his dementia. Her older sister, Juli, is a hippie, and her 10-year-old brother, Cliff, is peculiarmaking lists, not wanting to be touched, having spells of silence, and wanting to build a rocket that will take him to Jupiter. To support his dream, Scarlett decides to sell peach pies to help him build it. Handsome, quiet Frank will help, too, and conveniently, his dad owns the peach orchard. Set in rural Georgia in 1969, there are real issues here (many contemporary readers will recognize Cliff's challenges as Asperger's) and romance as well. This excellent story about first love, family ties, and what matters most is the second novel by the 17-year-old author of Interrupted (2012).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)